Staff Attorney

Overview:

The ACLU of Indiana’s Staff Attorney works alongside three expert litigators and a dynamic support team to conduct exceptional legal advocacy on behalf of Hoosiers. The Staff Attorney will maintain their own case load, with appropriate supervision, as well as co-counsel with the other ACLU of IN lawyers.

The Legal Department helps defend Hoosiers’ civil rights and liberties through strategic federal and state litigation and collaborates with the ACLU of Indiana’s Communications, Policy, and Advocacy teams. The lawyers represent clients throughout Indiana on a wide range of legal issues in order to win back, preserve, and advance constitutional rights. 

The Staff Attorney works under the supervision of the Legal Director and in collaboration with other ACLU of IN attorneys, the ACLU national office, and partners.

Job Responsibilities:

• Reviewing requests for assistance and, where appropriate, providing advice;
• Researching issues and discussing their merit with the legal staff;
• Under supervision of an experienced attorney, developing, initiating, and taking the lead on cases designed to protect clients’ civil liberties;
• Working on all aspects of a case including construction of the complaint, research, discovery, briefing, and argument
• Working collaboratively with the other ACLU of IN attorneys and as warranted, co-counsel from outside of the office;
• Answering inquiries from the media and others from outside of the office;
• Being a resource for others in the office;
• Speaking to lawyers and non-lawyers in the community about civil liberties issues;

Expectations:

• Inquisitive disposition and strong desire to grow as a professional;
• Openness to feedback, coaching, and taking on growing responsibilities on your team;
• Interest in collaborating across departments within the ACLU of Indiana so that we have an integrated approach to the many issues we work on;
• Willingness to learn from your state and national colleagues and members of your team;
• Ability to travel, as necessary, throughout the state;
• Strong commitment to treating clients and prospective clients with respect and dignity; and,
• Strong commitment to advancing the ACLU of Indiana’s values, mission, and goals, with an understanding of the range of civil liberties and civil rights issues and their implications.

Qualifications:

• Law degree from accredited law school and admission to the Indiana Bar or admission after taking the next available bar examination;
• 0-2 years of experience as a practicing attorney;
• Strong legal research and writing skills;
• Strong analytical skills;
• Eagerness to develop strong oral advocacy skills;
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with diverse staff, partners, and work across the political spectrum; 
• Ability to handle and prioritize multiple activities and responsibilities and the ability to work under pressure;
• Desire to learn more about the different populations who make up Indiana and ways to translate the importance of our issues for them; and,
• Ability to execute on projects and request help or guidance from your supervisor when you’re unclear on expectations or next steps.

Salary and Benefits:

Annual salary range: $65,000 – 78,000 (candidates with two years of federal clerkship experience by their start date may be offered a salary above this range)

The ACLU of Indiana is a hybrid office; employees can choose to work from home up to two days a week. Employees are expected to work from our downtown Indianapolis office for the remainder of the week. 

As a full-time exempt employee, your benefit package in this position will include paid vacation, sick leave, health, dental, life insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, and employer contributions to employee’s Health Savings Account and 401k. 

Application process and anticipated timeline:

The application for this position is posted to https://www.aclu-in.org/en/about/careers. Applicants must upload a resume, a cover letter, and two writing samples to be considered. Appropriate writing samples are ones on which you are the sole author or the sole author of a substantial portion of the piece. If the latter, please specify in your cover letter which portion(s) you authored.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. All applications received by February 17, 2025 will receive full consideration.

Promising candidates will be invited for a virtual first-round interview. Finalists will be invited to an in-person interview in Indianapolis.

Start date for this position is flexible and, if needed, can account for time to complete the Indiana Bar Exam or any current clerkships.